The invention relates generally to excavating machines sometimes referred to as bucket wheel trenchers of the type having a device for cutting the earth including a digging wheel assembly having a rim structure and a series of circumferentially spaced, peripherally extended buckets, and more particularly to a cleaning device for removing any spoil which has accumulated in the rim structure and buckets.
Excavating machines are well known for use in the cutting of an open trench having either vertical or sloped walls for the purposes of land drainage and irrigation including agricultural tiling, as well as the installation of utilities such as cable lines, pipelines, water lines, sewer lines, etc. These excavating machines are often of a vehicular type being self-contained and suitably driven for either over-the-road travel or movement during use of the earth cutting device.
Typically, the bucket wheel trenchers of the prior art have used a straight tooth cleaner which cuts a groove in the spoil which has accumulated in the rim structure and buckets to loosen the spoil so it will fall out of the rim structure and buckets and onto a conveyor which expels the spoil to a spoil bank beside the machine. This is a highly inefficient way of removing the spoil especially when the spoil is packed in the rim structure and buckets due to high moisture or other causes. Much of the spoil in these instances continues on past the straight tooth cleaner and around the cutting wheel reducing the amount of spoil that can be removed.
Another problem with the prior art cleaning devices is that when rocks or other obstructions come into contact with the cleaner, the cleaning device can be damaged.
The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.